June 9, 2021 - After a campaign that saw the participation of Hajduk fans worldwide, Marko Livaja has agreed to stay at the Split club! 

HNK Hajduk announced the news on its website on Wednesday: 

"To the delight of its entire fan base, HNK Hajduk is proud to announce that Marko Livaja will continue to defend the colors of our Club.

The club and the player have reached an agreement to extend the contract until the summer of 2024, and Marko will, from now on, wear the number 10 jersey.

Livaja returned to Poljud in February this year, and since then, has played 17 official matches for the Whites, scoring seven goals and eight assists. He delighted the entire public with his performances on the pitch, delighting all our fans, and he was the main wheel and leader of the team in the second part of the season.

Marko will be with the team from the first day of preparations, which officially begins on Monday, June 14 at Poljud."

"First of all, I want to thank all the fans. Since I came, and especially in the last month, you have emitted so much positive energy towards my family and me, countless messages of support, approval, and wishes for my stay. Even if I wanted to leave, it wouldn't be possible with all this you've done. From the very beginning, I desired to try to make something here that will be remembered. I think we still have unfinished business, and I am glad that together we are fighting for the highest goals," said Marko after signing the contract.

"This is a significant day for the Club; we are happy to have signed a long-term contract with Marko Livaja. He was the wish not only of us but of the entire fan base. Thanks to Marko, his wife Iris, and his whole family because they believe in Hajduk and what we do. Thanks also to the mediator who assisted in this work, Vincenzo Cavalieri. Thanks also to all the fans who participated in the #LivajaOstani campaign, which played a crucial role in his decision. Now we continue together, ready for new challenges and the fight for trophies," concluded the sports director of Mindaugas Nikolicius.

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

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ZAGREB, 9 June, 2021 - SDP leader Peđa Grbin said on Wednesday that the majority in the Zagreb City Assembly would definitely be formed while the SDP branch in Zagreb would be dissolved to prevent the SDP from turning into "an employment office". 

Addressing a news conference on decisions adopted at a session of the party leadership on Tuesday, Grbin said that the session focused on two topics - dissolution of the party's Zagreb branch and the course of negotiations on the formation of the majority in the Zagreb City Assembly.

"I can say with certainty that on 17 June, when the Zagreb City Assembly is to be inaugurated, the majority will be formed. The SDP considers it an obligation towards the residents of Zagreb because we know that after years of poor governance, Zagreb deserves better," he said.

He noted that talks with the winner of the local election in Zagreb, the We Can! platform, including on the post of Zagreb City Assembly president, were under way.

As for the functioning of party branches, Grbin said that the most important decision made by the party leadership yesterday was the one on the dissolution of the Zagreb branch.

He recalled that a few months ago the party leadership decided to dissolve bodies of that party branch, adding that that decision had not proven sufficient to stop some bad processes that had been happening and make sure the branch operated as it should, focusing on citizens' problems.

"... This decision concerns those who have started treating the SDP as an employment service, who want to use it exclusively for their personal benefit," Grbin said, adding that the party's purpose was to work for the wellbeing of citizens and that radical decisions such as the latest one were sometimes necessary.

He said that concrete names would be discussed within the party and at a meeting of its Main Committee on Saturday.

For more about politics Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

June 9, 2021 - The fascinating question of the Cultural Identity of Vukovar is researched in a new book edited by Dr. Mateo Žanić and Petar Elez. However, as the editors stressed in the introduction, further research is needed to encompass all social groups in Vukovar and their contribution to the heritage of Vukovar.

After being published back in April this year, the book „Cultural Identity of Vukovar – Contribution to Investigating Heritage and Successors“, was presented this Wednesday in Vukovar. As Ivo Pilar Social Research Institute writes on its website the book was published in cooperation with the Vukovar State Archive, so it was only suitable that the first book presentation was held in Vukovar at the videoconference hall of College Of Applied Sciences „Lavoslav Ružička“ (named after a famous Croatian chemist whose work is awarded a Nobel Prize). In addition, the event marked International Archive Day.

The book was edited by Dr. Mateo Žanić and Petar Elez, and the presentation, alongside editors, saw scientific experts Dr. Dražen Živić, Mirela Hutinec, and Dr. Domagoj Tomas talks about the book.

„Fast events triggered by globalization process and information revolution which paradoxically lead to today's societies being fiercely occupied with the meaning of past, and preserving its valuable traces. In that context, there is a spreading interest for heritage that holds an important component to understand the relationship between the past and present“, says the editorial introduction of the book.

The editors went on to explain how „the city proved to be futile to interpret the meaning of heritage and its contribution to cultural identity,“ and the editors wanted to present various aspects of Vukovar's cultural heritage.

Apart from editors Žanić (who wrote a chapter „Layers of memories and material heritage in modern-day Vukovar) and Elez (author of the chapter „State archive in Vukovar and development of archive service in Vukovar-Srijem County“), the book features eight more authors. Ivan Rogić (Whose Heritage? Who is the successor?), Dražen Živić (on Vukovar's feudalists), Vlasta Novinc („Danube, food, Corso“), Dragana Drašković (on the cultural life of Borovo Selo), and more by Dragan Damjanović, Toni Roca, Ivana Bendra and Ivan Hubalek.

With these broad presentations of culture and heritage in Vukovar, editors hope this book will encourage further research as they are aware this is certainly not the final word on these interesting questions and issues.

„As editors, we are aware that the book does not deal with topics that concern different social groups that left their trace in Vukovar end enrich the history of the city. We hope that future editions that will deal with this topic expand the reach of issues and help us to realize better what do we inherit from the past and why is that important“, concludes the introduction of the book.

So far, the book is available only in Croatian, and research that will, as editors say, deal with other social groups in Vukovar is yet to come. Keeping in mind the terrible aftermaths of the war in Vukovar in the 90s and inter-ethnic tensions, further findings on joint cultural contribution to Vukovar may indeed be the enlightenment needed for peaceful cohabitation and development of Vukovar as a perspective city in Croatia.

Speaking of heritage, learn more about UNESCO recognized heritage in Croatia on our TC page.

For more about science in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 9 June, 2021 - In the past 24 hours Croatia has logged 275 new coronavirus cases and seven people have died as a consequence, the national COVID-19 response team reported on Wednesday.

There are 1,330 active cases in the country, including 520 hospitalised patients, 51 of whom are on ventilators.

Croatia has registered 358,061 cases of the novel coronavirus since it was first identified in the county on 25 February 2020 and 8,103 people have died as a consequence. A total of 348,628 people have recovered from the contagion, including 159 in the past 24 hours.

There are currently 6,819 people in self-isolation.

To date a total of 2,060,002 tests have been conducted and of that number, 5,970 were conducted in the past 24 hours.

By 8 June a total of 1,947,784 doses of vaccines have been administered. So far 1,357,103 people have received at least one dose while 590,681 have received both shots.

On 8 June alone, 27,128 shots were administered, the response team said.

For more about COVID-19 in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

June 9, 2021 - A smog-eating augmented reality mural in Zagreb was revealed on World Oceans Day! 

A large sea mural has sprung up in the capital city, in the neighborhood where the streets are named after the islands. It is the result of a collaboration between WWF Adria, artist Boris Baret, animator Mate Žaja, and Duje Stojak.

On World Ocean Day, Zagreb's Sigečica district, where the streets are named after the Adriatic islands, got what it was missing - the sea! The mural titled "Give fish a chance" is special for at least two reasons. The first is that it is adorned with an additional layer of augmented reality activated by a smartphone or tablet. All you need to do is install the Artivive application for free, walk to Rapska 26b, scan the mural and bring the sea to life on the screen of your device. This is the first such mural in Croatia, and another is coming to Split.

Ante Gugic

Another special feature is the paints used, which eliminate the main pollutants present in the air (including nitrogen oxides harmful to human health) and prevent the growth of bacteria, mold, and spores. The manufacturer states that an area of ​​100 square meters of this color acts like a forest of the same area. Certainly, no color can replace the services and benefits of trees, but in a city with minimal greenery per capita, it cannot rest.

The mural is part of the pan-European Fish Forward project to raise awareness of the social and environmental impacts of consuming fishery products. The sea feeds much of the world's population, and most fish stocks are overfished. The European Union is among the largest importers of food from the sea, and half imports from developing countries, where nearly a billion people depend on the sea as their main source of food and income.

Ante Gugic

Changes are not only happening in the distant oceans; they are also present in the Adriatic, which you can measure by your own experience. If you had the opportunity to dive into the sea 30 years ago and today, you know that these are two completely different worlds. This is confirmed by a group of international scientists on the island of Molat, who in recent days led by WWF Adria in search of Squatina squatina, once widely represented, today critically endangered and strictly protected species of shark.

“Due to intensive fishing, we have brought this species almost to extinction. Recently, one young specimen was caught as an accidental catch and returned to the sea thanks to a conscientious fisherman and the Pula Aquarium. It is important to know that many species face a similar fate which will also affect food security. Protection and recovery are possible by introducing measures such as non-fishing zones," says Patrik Krstinić from WWF Adria.

Squatina squatina is also on the Zagreb mural, and as it must not remain alive only as augmented reality, in the decade ahead, the responsible and sustainable use of marine resources is crucial so that we can continue to use the services they provide us.

"We take much more from the sea and much faster than 50 years ago. We do not give it time or space to recover. People depend on food production, which in turn depends on healthy habitats. That is why it is essential to protect at least 30% of the world's seas and oceans by 2030. Today, only 7% is under some form of protection, which is insufficient," concludes Petra Počanić, Fish Forward project manager at WWF Adria.

For more on lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

9 June 2021 – Police apprehended three judges from Osijek this morning in a case seemingly involving serious corruption in Croatia.

Croatian judicial system has been a point of controversy throughout recent history. Still, it is rare that the police actually get a cause for arrest. Three judges from Osijek, Darko Kruslin, Zvonko Vekic, and Ante Kvesic, were apprehended this morning. This comes after charges brought forth by controversial football manager Zdravko Mamic.

Zdravko Mamic and his brother Zoran Mamic have their own problems with the law. They were recently found guilty of extracting 116 million Croatian Kunas from Dinamo Zagreb football club by the Croatian Supreme Court. Zoran Mamic was the acting club manager at the time. They are currently in Bosnia and Herzegovina with Croatia seemingly unable to work out extradition with the local government.

Accusations of Corruption

Index.hr reports Zdravko Mamic supposedly delivered a USB memory drive to USKOK (Bureau for Combating Corruption and Organized Crime) back in October. It contained evidence of various corruption acts the judges committed. He later held a press conference in which he made various accusations of racketeering, accepting bribes, and secret meetings during ongoing cases. He claimed judge Vekic asked him for help in obtaining a higher professional function and extorted €500,000 that he planned on dividing with Kruslin and Kvesic. Mamic said he paid the money in order to have the charges against him dropped. He also mentioned another €100,000 EUR being paid through Zoran Mamic and Drago Tadic – the arrested entrepreneur. On another occasion, Zdravko Mamic supposedly had given Darko Kruslin an expensive watch as a gift. Kruslin later returned the timepiece when Mamic's case went to court in Osijek.

When reading through the entire set of accusations, it becomes clear the men involved had socialised on a number of occasions. Unfortunately, these social circles that feature people holding high positions in various branches of the government and controversial entrepreneurs are nothing new in Croatia. If this case turns out to be valid, it will be an interesting precedent for the future. Having a long-time controversial figure like Zdravko Mamic putting in motion such an important corruption case is a perfect irony to cap the story off.

For more on the latest news out of Croatia, click here.

June 9, 2021 - The popular Pag Island music festival Sonus has been postponed until next summer due to the restrictions and uncertainty around the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Sonus organizers released a statement about the news on Tuesday: 

"Because of the global ongoing uncertainty around the Coronavirus pandemic, it is with a heavy heart that we cancel Sonus Festival 2021. Given all the limitations and restrictions we expected to encounter, we do not believe that we could have presented an experience worthy of what Sonus stands for. Safety comes first, and so we have made the tough decision to postpone to the week from August 21st - August 25th, 2022. 

When the time finally comes, you can expect a typically world-class Sonus line-up - a high calibre selection of the house and techno talents who have helped make Sonus one of Europe's most essential summer festivals."

Says Sonus's Robin Ebinger, "This is a hugely difficult decision, but it is in everyone's best interests, and we are optimistic that soon we will all have the Pag Island sand between our toes again. To all 2020 ticket holders: please check your inbox for more details regarding a refund or the ticket transfer process."

Because a lot of fans have kept hold of their 2020 tickets, and with high demand expected for the 2022 ticket sale, make sure to sign up for the limited Early Bird Private Pre-Sale starting on the 18th of June to secure your chance to dance next year! 

You can stay up to date with all Sonus new HERE. 

For more on lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

June 9, 2021 - Restaurant and bar owners are looking for extended working hours in Croatia during EURO 2020, beginning on Friday, June 11. 

The first extended weekend, better epidemiological situation, and the sun brought a smile to the faces of tourism workers after a long time. In Split-Dalmatia County, there were 75 thousand overnight stays and 17 thousand arrivals. While the numbers aren't quite like before, there is a reason for optimism and hope for a successful season, writes HRT.

About 4,000 domestic and foreign guests were resting in Split last weekend, and 8,000 passengers traveled through the airport on Saturday and Sunday. There were 75,000 overnight stays throughout the county. 

"In June, we mainly recorded 'last-minute' arrivals, according to flights and vaccinations. Most often, those who are vaccinated come. Everyone is eager to travel and a very good season awaits us. If we do everything well, then we can talk about the off-season that could bring us income," said Barbara Markovic, vice president of the Croatian Family Accommodation Association.

The European Football Championship begins on Friday, and restaurants and bars are not giving up on their request to extend their working hours.

"We were already looking for working hours until midnight. Now is the time to do it. It would be fine to have longer working hours during the EURO. The weather is warmer, people will watch matches outside, and that will contribute to economic activity. There is no need to be afraid," said Jelena Tabak, president of the National Caterers Guild.

It is unlikely that the national pride and fanfare that accompanied the World Cup in Russia will be repeated, so it is difficult to expect the fan madness of 2018. Caterers believe that the EURO can be watched in a calmer atmosphere and with respect for epidemiological measures. However, it remains questionable whether the Croatian National Headquarters also believes in that, concludes HRT.

For everything you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, including travel, border, and quarantine rules, as well as the locations of vaccination points and testing centres across the country, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and select your preferred language.